I Have Written A Love Letter to Mississippi and the South

Did you know that December is Write a Friend Month? 

In this day of instant, electronic communication, the art of letter writing is all but dead.
But, there is much to be gained by writing letters.
So many people, still appreciate the personal touch of a personal note.
Embrace the fact that your unique handwriting style, choice of paper, ink, envelope and stamp come together to reveal something special about you and offer something special to the receiver
This could be an opportunity to not only surprise a loved one with old-fashioned snail mail, but it is also your chance to help revive a dying art form.


These days the mailbox is full of bills, scams, pre-approved credit card offers and advertisements. We receive most correspondences via email, social media and text message. The United States Postal Service Has seen so much lost revenue that suspending Saturday service is a serious consideration. The mindset of the general population seems to be: Why buy a stamp or wait a week to tell someone something that I can tell them instantly for free? With today’s technology, people think it’s perfectly acceptable for a text message to serve as a thank you note.

December is a great time of year for children to practice letter writing. They can write to grandparents, wishing them a Merry Christmas, a happy holiday season, or a Happy New Year.  And since kids tend to be home from school for winter break, it's a great time for them to find a pen pal. 

Using computers, faxes, texts, phones, ect. for communication has become such a way of life that some schools have even stopped teaching cursive handwriting, altogether.  This is something that is really disturbing to me.  In the third grade, my son, Henry was actually penalized for writing cursive on a spelling test.  He had started learning cursive when he was in the second grade, while we lived in Memphis. We moved to Tupelo in his third grade year.

December 7th has been designated as Letter Writing Day.


Some suggestions for the day:

Write letters to friends and family: Family and friends, especially those with whom you’ve fallen out of touch, will love receiving a handwritten note. 

Write letters to those who need them most: The holidays can be a difficult time for those who are away from their families or who have lost loved ones.  Let a stranger know you care by sending a letter to a soldier in the military, or an elderly person who’s away from their family to brighten their holiday season. 

Overall, December is a great time of year to take a few moments to let the people you love and care about know that you’re thinking of them.  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of holiday celebrations, shopping, and end-of-year deadlines, receiving a handwritten note is sure to be a welcome surprise.

Write a letter showing your love and concern today ! 

I am the author of two books of poetry, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia and My Magnolia Memories and Musings.  In one of the first reviews that I received of Reflections, the reviewer called it, "a love letter to the south". 
After some thought, I totally agreed !  I call both books "a celebration of the south and things southern" .  The poems are filled with the wonderful things that I love and appreciate about Mississippi and the south.  When you put them all together, they certainly do form a beautiful " love letter to the South " .